


a brave new world

by Amonet



Series: Stony Ficlets [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26033500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonet/pseuds/Amonet
Summary: “Oh,” Steve said, surprised. “So he was here… with you?”“Yes. He was my date to the gala and I brought him home afterwards,” Tony explains.“Oh,” Steve says again, momentarily unsure of what the right words are. He isn't good at this. “So he’s- You are…” He can’t think of a word that doesn’t sound offensive.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Stony Ficlets [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1201591
Comments: 2
Kudos: 147





	a brave new world

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written... anything at all? I forgot how hard it is.

When Steve goes to get his morning coffee, there is a man in the kitchen. Not just any man, a very hungover and tired looking man who is quite obviously wearing yesterdays clothes – a tuxedo, three pieces, looks expensive and – sometimes Steve hates the perfect sense of smell that the serum gave him – he smells so strongly of sex that Steve wants to leave the room and never return.

“Hi,” the guy says and Steve belatedly realises that he’s been staring at him. “You must be Steve, right? Tony talks a lot about you.”

Steve stares for another few seconds before he remembers that he actually has manners.

“Yes, and you are?”

“James,” the guy says, which explains absolutely nothing. “I’m… a friend of Tony’s,” he continues when he realises that Steve isn’t going to say anything. “We went to last night’s gala together.”

That makes Steve furrow his brows. This guy had gone to the gala with Tony and brought a girl back to the tower after? He wasn’t great at understanding the way modern relationships worked but he was pretty sure that bringing a girl home into another guys house was still considered strange, at the very least. But maybe James lived out of town and Tony always offered his friends a room at the tower at the very least. He was generous like that.

“Are you from around here?”, Steve asks, unwilling to assume the worst of the unexpected guest. The guy, James, laughs.

“God, no. I’m from L.A. Met Tony there, a few weeks ago. We have some mutual friends.”

By now Steve’s coffee is finished and Steve decides to drink it back at his floor. It’s more of a ritual, really, coffee doesn’t do anything for him and he doesn’t even particularly like the taste, but usually Tony is here at this time and they’d drink their coffee together. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen so Steve excuses himself and goes back to his room. Maybe he can get coffee with Tony later to make up for missing him in the morning.

He doesn’t see Tony again until dinner which, since it’s Saturday, is a team dinner. Tony’s guest is nowhere to be seen and Steve has already almost forgotten about him when Nat brings him up.

“So,” she says in the voice she also uses when she interrogates Hydra agents at SHIELD. The voice is made slightly less scary only by the fact that she is in the process of drowning her pizza in ketchup. “Do you want to tell us about your  _ friend _ ?”

Tony looks confused, if only for a moment and-

“Oh,” Steve said, surprised. “So he was here… with you?”

“Yes. He was my date to the gala and I brought him home afterwards,” Tony explains.

“Oh,” Steve says again, momentarily unsure of what the right words are. He isn't good at this. “So he’s- You are…” He can’t think of a word that doesn’t sound offensive.

“Gay?” Tony looks at him, clearly waiting for some sort of reaction, but Steve doesn’t know what being gay has to do with any of this. Of course, he is happy for Tony if Tony’s gay but it doesn’t explain the man, James, that he had brought home.

“Homosexual,” Tony tries again and that finally rings a bell.

“Yes!” Steve proclaims excitedly before he realises he might have spoken a bit too loud. “Sorry,” he apologises sheepishly. “I just- I didn’t know how, you know, the word for it was. Now, I mean.”

Tony smiles at him but it's a strange smile, a bit fake and very calculating like he's watching one of his experiments. When it becomes clear that Tony isn't going to say anything, Steve continues.

"We... back in the 40s they used to say 'queer'?" They also used to say loads of other, worse words.  _ To him. _ But he doesn't say that just tries to read Tony's expression but Tony doesn't react to the word at all. "Do people still-" He pauses. "Is that still offensive now? To say that, I mean." So many words have changed since the 40s, he wouldn't be surprised if 'queer' was another word for jam now.

Tony shrugs. "Not really. Some like it, some still don't. Same old, same old, I guess."

Steve wants to ask him to explain but Tony looks like he has something else to say.

"It doesn't bother you then?" Tony finally continues after a few awkward seconds of silence.

"Homosexuality?" Steve furrows his brows. "Or ' _ queer' _ ?"

"Gay people," Tony says, just a tad too fast to sound casual. "Or bisexual people, I guess. You're not against that?"

"Bisexual?", Steve asks.

"It's when you like both men and women," Tony explains.

"Like you?" Steve doesn't know if he is crossing a line there but it seems relevant.

"Yes," Tony says and Steve can see that his knuckles are white from holding onto the corner of the table.

"Okay," Steve says, lost in thought for a moment and he can see Natasha watching him intently from the corner of his eye. When he looks up, Tony is staring directly at him from opposite him. "So, you date men too. Like James?", He asks him and Tony swallows slowly.

"Sometimes I do, yes. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No?", Steve tries, unsure of the right answer. "Or? Should it be a problem?" He is not good at this at all.

"No," Tony says and smiles, the tension fading from his features. He lets go of the table. "No, that's- It's good that it's not." He laughs nervously. "I- Yeah, that's good."

"Okay," Steve says, caught off guard by Tony's sudden change of mood. It's only after dinner when Tony collects the plates and wanders off to the kitchen that Steve realises he still has a question.

While the others put in a movie in the living room, Steve sneaks into the kitchen. Tony is just rinsing and putting the dishes in the dishwasher and the whole scene is so domestic that, for a second, Steve can only watch and smile. Tony Stark, doing the dishes. Who would have thought?

Finally, he clears his throat and Tony spins around to look at him, a small smile on his face.

Before Tony can say anything, Steve starts speaking. "I have another question," He says and pauses for a second, gathering all his courage. "Just to clear something up: If a guy were to ask you out, you'd consider saying yes?" It's not really a question, he realises.

For a moment it is quiet and Steve almost thinks he blew his chance.

"Well," Tony finally says, really smiling now. "Only one way to find out, Cap."

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, talk to me on tumblr or send me a prompt! I'm [Amonet-writes](https://amonet-writes.tumblr.com) over there!


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